From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin
One hundred and seventy one aspirants under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State are jostling for 34 political positions ahead of the 2015 general election.
The aspirants include; Kwara State House of assembly aspirants, House of Representatives aspirants, Senate and gubernatorial aspirants.
The party has pegged N50,000, N150,000,N250,000, and N500,000 as nomination fees for House of assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship positions respectively.
The state chairman of the party, Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo who confirmed this during the inauguration of Kwara State PDP Aspirants Forum (PAF) yesterday at the party secretariat, said the magnitude of the number showed the popularity of PDP in the state.
“From the numbers of people that have paid in accordance with our instructions, we now have one hundred and seventy one people struggling to fill thirty four vacancies. While the numbers of people that indicated interests to fly our flag is an indication of the popularity of our party.
“A lot of concern is being expressed that it might lead to a crisis of the greatest magnitude from which the opposition APC hopes to make a bountiful harvest. There shall be no crisis if we are honest in the conduct of the primary and if those that honestly fail just accept defeat as a necessary outcome of any form of contest.”
Oyedepo who condemned the administration of the ruling party APC in the state said with the qualities of PDP political office aspirants, the end of APC governance is on sight.
He added that the essence of the forum of all aspirants was to create friendly relationships among all the aspirants, stressing that all losers would support whoever emerged as a winner.
The deputy chairman of the elder committee, Chief Joel Afolabi Ogundeji, who was the immediate past deputy governor of the state, urged all aspirants to work together as a team to ensure total victory of the party in 2015 general election.
Ogundeji appealed to them not to see the election as do or die affairs rather, they should accept winners and fight against the common enemy of the state.
While reacting on behalf of gubernatorial candidates, Senator Sulyman Mankanjuola promised to embrace whoever emerged as the PDP gubernatorial candidate of the state and to also unite the party.
He said the situation of one man show, imposition of candidates and alleged misrule in the state must change.
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